The Myth of the Lone Individual. In western civilization, if we can now even call ourselves civilized, we have a distorted view of human beings along many dimensions, one of which is often referred to as our philosophy of individualism. This viewpoint atomizes human beings as each an island, an isolated self, a sole former of beliefs, feeler of emotions, holder of attitudes, and initiator of actions. On such a view, the metaphysically isolated individual alone is responsible for his or her path in the world. If you succeed or fail, it’s all on you. If you’re loving or cruel, the same is true. Individual responsibility is an implication of individual isolation.
But there is an ancient Chinese and more broadly Asian counterpoint to this view, a philosophy in which we are all essentially entwined parts of a greater whole, believing, feeling, seeing, and acting in community within an all embracing system that surrounds and permeates us, in what can be imagined as concentric circles of influence and cooperation, indeed of collaboration. Some of the deeper classical Christian thought has its own version of such a conception. On this view, life is a vast partnership of all with all, either for good or ill. Community matters. Surrounding systems and structures are powerfully involved in our lives. Things like heroism or racism, to cite two polarities, are never just the responsibility of the sole individual so characterized, but are effects of collective forces.
This does not rob us of individual responsibility, but rather shows the full stage on which that responsibility develops and plays out. We live best when we understand the involvement of systems and communities of agency in the situations and souls of those around us, as well as with ourselves. Primal societies even see the objects around us as having a form of agency to help or hinder. Some of our deepest political problems arise out of an extreme individualist myth that sees each of us as solely accountable for whatever we think, feel, or do. If you're poor, it's all your fault. Feeding the hungry is going out of your way to solve a problem the hungry created for themselves. A more enlightened philosophy will cast its net more broadly and understand the collaborative nature of existence and action in all its forms. We live within a huge and intimately engaged ecology of things and spirits enlivened with energy. We need to think more and do more to enhance our broader communities of being and doing. That's the only sane and safe way forward.
Note: This post was inspired by an extraordinary essay in Aeon: https://aeon.co/essays/in-classical-chinese-philosophy-all-actions-are-collective?utm_source=Aeon+Newsletter&utm_campaign=2789347d4a-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2022_11_21_05_39&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-2789347d4a-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D
